Statement From EMU Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty Regarding Organ Donation Week

Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty academician and Head of Marmara University Medicine Faculty, Department of General Surgery, Assoc. Prof. Ender Dulundu provided a statement in relation to 3rd -9th November Organ Donation Week:

Organ transplantation is the name given to the transplant of organs or tissue, after life threatening organ failure. According to up to date 2016 data from Turkey, 60.000 patients went into dialysis, 22.337 patients are waiting for kidney transplants, 2254 for liver transplants, 647 for heart transplants and 49 for lung transplants. When we examine the yearly number of transplants we see that meeting this number is a long way away. Unfortunately, for this reason we see thousands of patients each year being hospitalized again and again whilst on waiting lists and some patients losing their lives despite intervention attempts.

The ideal type of organ transplant involves an organ from an individual who suffered a cerebral death. In addition to this, livers and kidneys can be obtained from living individuals. An individual can decide with their free will to donate their organs after death. An individual’s kin can also decide to donate the individual’s organs if he/she hadn’t made a declaration whilst still alive. When a transplant from a living individual is to take place, as well as the individual’s consent, consent from a family member or approval from the ethic committee is required in order to transplant a kidney or part of the liver.

In Europe and developed countries approximately 35 to 40 organ donations take place amongst one million of the population. In Turkey this number is approximately 5 to 6. These numbers show how far the number in Turkey is from the ideal number.

Informing the community about organ donations should be everybody’s duty and goal. In this regard, non-governmental organizations, trade associations, physicians, clergymen and the media have an especially large role to play.  

We mustn’t forget that it is possible that we too will one day suffer from organ failure. With an organ donation from just one person it may possible to keep 5 people alive. Hence, it is possible to provide hope for patients waiting for a transplant, whilst also reducing the number transplants that require healthy individuals to face the risks associated with surgery.